


Beastly Cravings

by mvg_writes (viridis2020)



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Eventual Smut, F/F, Feral Behavior, Supernatural Elements, let mercedes be happy, lots of baking, rarepairs let's go, supportive best friends hildathea, wlw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:01:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28759239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/viridis2020/pseuds/mvg_writes
Summary: Edelgard and Lysithea crash land on Earth, sent by their masters to kill and destroy. But they find that they've dropped themselves in the wrong spot, but fortunately, a particularly generous nurse named Mercedes Martritz-Bartels welcomes them into her home. Eventually, they find themselves beginning to like the odd group of humans they've been thrown in with, and start to question what they've been taught.(previously deleted, reposted to finish)
Relationships: Annette Fantine Dominic/Lysithea von Ordelia, Dorothea Arnault/Ingrid Brandl Galatea, Edelgard von Hresvelg/Mercedes von Martritz, Marianne von Edmund/Hilda Valentine Goneril, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21





	1. Prologue

He paced the room, white eyes glinting with malice and ambition. His chest swelled with the pride of a schemer about to see the fruits of careful planning in all their splendor. Power, destruction, and the awe of a world on fire were to be soon at hand. All that was required to make it happen was the compliance of his little creations.

The two demons kneeled in front of him, white hair long and untamed. Their faces were gaunt and expressionless, eyes trained on him warily, like dogs waiting to see whether their master would kick them in the ribs or offer them a steak.

“At last, you two will fulfill your purpose. My greatest creations, perfect tools. Tonight, we release you upon the world.”

The fabric of his robes dusted the cracked stone floor as he paused to regard his servants. Though they were small in comparison to many of the other denizens of hell, these two were particularly powerful. He’d spent years grooming them, and felt his mouth water at the possibilities of the destruction they could bring.

“Rend and tear with your claws. Burn their cities to the ground. Leave nothing but ash, and we will follow to take our rightful place, ruling the world above and below. You will be rewarded richly for your work, my dears. I assure you.”

The parallel sets of eyes regarded him coolly, one salmon pink, the other lavender. They were used to his promises. Mere carrots dangled in front of them to make up for the torture that they were subjected to at his whims. This was simple routine to them, blasé and inconsequential.

The woman who’d been standing off to the side for most of the conversation walked towards the two girls. “Stand,” she commanded, and they did as she asked with incredible speed. While Thales gave the orders, she was the one who carried them out. It was her arrival they dreaded.

She walked between them, pulling them into an embrace, a hand resting on each of their shoulders. “Don’t disappoint me girls,” she whispered. The fur trim of her dress smelled of sulfur and dead things. The younger of the two leaned away, the scent of her perfume suffocating. It smelled of something she couldn’t place. She’d known what it was eons before, but now she only knew it as the telltale sign of incoming pain. 

Her nails dug sharply into the flesh of each of their shoulders, placing her head between theirs as she hissed out a warning. “If you fail me, I will personally cast you into the deepest pits we can devise. Your only company will be the umbral beasts, and you will never know warmth or light ever again. Do you understand me?”

“Yes,” said the twin voices, fearful as they were resolute.

“Yes,  _ what _ ?”

“Yes, Mother.”

“That’s enough, Cornelia. They know their place.”

“My apologies, Thales. I just wanted to ensure they knew the gravity of the situation.”

“No matter. It’s time we send them out anyway. Edelgard, Lysithea, my dear girls, you know what to do.”

Thales waved his hand, and a circle opened up on the floor. The portal glowed an unsettlingly bright green, just wide enough for the two of them to fit through. 

“Now, go and make me proud.”

The portal’s sinister maw beckoned. They were simple forms of magic, but very easy to mess up. One miscalculation, and you could end up at your destination missing a limb or two. Edelgard looked to Lysithea, and gestured for her to follow. They needed to jump in together if they wanted to reach their destination together. Otherwise, a time rip might manifest, and they could land in the wrong century entirely.

“Lysithea.”

“Edelgard.”

They looked to each other one more time. Then, side by side, they regarded the swirling pit below, and leapt.

Within moments, Lysithea realized something had gone very, _very_ wrong.

In a flash, Edelgard vanished from view. A tear in the portal. Diverted from her course, she was flying at mach speed towards  _ goddess knows what _ . The speed only increased, her organs rising inside of her as a scream of unbridled terror ripped from her throat. She scrabbled at the sides, unable to find purchase when everything around her was made of magic and vapor that vanished between her fingertips as soon as she touched it. She was going to die. She was going to die and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. 

She managed one more deafening wail of fear before the portal ended and the world began. The ground came up to meet her hard and knocked her unconscious, frail form going limp as her head rested on a set of stone steps, dampened by the rain that had stopped only moments ago. Though such a fall would crack a regular human's skull like a robin's egg, her enhanced constitution made it so that the only wounds she sustained were a bruised rib, a black eye and a few scrapes and scratches on her forearms.  


They led up to a narrow house, built in the early days of Fhirdiad’s founding. It had been restored several times, giving it a more modern, clean appearance. Beside the door was a set of brass numbers detailing the address: 131 Cichol Road. 


	2. Crêpe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A befuddled Lysithea finds herself in a strange bed, in a strange house. And even stranger is the person who owns it. But despite her instincts and apprehension, she stays her hand. For now.

Mercedes Martritz-Bartels looked out of the kitchen window. It was rather gloomy out, and she was glad she’d been able to get off work early. It had been a busy day: a rush of triage patients came in from a drunk driving accident. One of them was going to lose a leg, but he was stable, and thankfully had few injuries otherwise. The drunk driver had been handcuffed to the bed, one eye swollen shut with bloody, glass-inflicted gashes all over his face and body. Now he was in the care of Marianne, Lindhart, and the Fhirdiad police department, as of 9pm.

Now, what to do? She thought for a moment, biting her lip, then let out a soft “aha”. Hot chocolate. She was going to make herself a nice, piping mug of hot chocolate, because as far as choices went, something sweet and delicious was always the best option in her book.

Her thick blonde hair was down now, free of the “tactical ponytail” that all long-haired nurses sported while on the clock. She grabbed the gallon of milk from the fridge, setting it down as she walked towards the cabinets. Annette had gotten her a tin of delightfully rich chocolate powder imported from Dagda as a gift for her work anniversary. It made the best hot chocolate she’d ever tasted, so she did her best to be conservative using it. But sometimes, the temptation was just too much. 

She set the pan of milk on the stove, humming to herself as she rummaged through the drawers looking for marshmallows. A loud thunk drew her attention away from her task. There was no disputing the fact that she was hopelessly clumsy, but Mercedes knew for sure she hadn’t made  _ that  _ noise. She stood up, shutting the drawer as she tried to determine the source of the sound. She waited a few moments, but heard nothing else. It hadn’t come from inside. In fact, it sounded suspiciously like something hitting the stone steps outside. 

“How strange. May as well go check it out,” she murmured to herself.

She turned the burner off, as it was astoundingly easy to burn milk, and walked slowly towards the front door. Looking out of the peephole, she didn’t see any suspicious people waiting outside.  _ Maybe it’s a package? _ Annette did have a tendency to go overboard with gift giving... Curiosity sufficiently piqued, Mercedes opened the door right into...a person’s head?

She let out a gasp of horror, clapping a hand over her mouth as she looked down at the prone form of a strange girl, out cold on her steps. Her hair was pure white, draped around her head in a messy halo. She was thin, almost disturbingly so, clad in a thin black dress that was much too light for the chilly temperature of a Fhirdiad autumn. 

“Oh my goodness.”

Her back rose and fell, so she was still breathing, but beyond that, Mercedes wasn’t sure what state this girl was in. The sensible, modern part of her brain told her that she could call the police. But something about the strange attire and just how  _ small  _ her guest was told that something was amiss, although she couldn’t be sure what the nature of the situation was. What she did know was that she had a spare bed and a kitchen full of food. The girl could sleep in safety and have a warm meal, then maybe give Mercedes an idea of what brought her to her door. 

“You poor thing. Let’s get you up.”

She slid one hand under the girl’s stomach, gingerly turning her over while the other hand cradled her head. Mercedes scooped her up and carried her bridal style over the threshold, door closing behind them with a gentle  _ chk _ . The pair passed the abandoned hot chocolate ingredients as they made their way to the guest bedroom at the end of the hall. 

She flicked the light on with her elbow, illuminating the small room. It was modest but cozy, a brown feather duvet covering the bed. Mercedes set the girl down on top of it, grabbing the spare blanket from the chest at the end of the bed and draping it over her with the utmost care. Her face twisted in empathy when she saw the cuts and bruises all over her. She stepped out of the room to find her first aid kit, bandaging the bloody scrapes on her forearms as tenderly as she could to avoid startling her. She rubbed a bit of arnica around her eyes, careful not to get any onto her eyelid.   


“I’m not sure what you’ve been through, but you’re safe here. You can tell me about it in the morning, if you want,” Mercedes whispered from the doorway. “But for now, get some rest. Sweet dreams!”

She turned the light off, and shut the door behind her to let the girl rest in peace. It had been an unexpected turn of events, certainly strange, but she wasn’t about to let that get in between her and a hard earned cup of hot cocoa. 

She tiptoed into the kitchen and started up where she left off.

Strands of light peered into the room when Lysithea opened her eyes, the pupils of which immediately narrowed into slits. She sat up, and looked down at the pale pink knitted blanket covering her lower half.  _ What the fuck? Where  _ **_am_ ** _ I?  _

That was the million dollar question.

She dropped her feet to the floor, silent as an assassin. She hovered her hand over the doorknob, composing herself. Whatever horrors awaited her outside this room, she would return them a thousandfold. Lysithea, scion of House Ordelia and crown gem of the Under, could offer no less.

The door opened into a straight hallway. The floor was accented by a long, deep blue rug that extended all the way to the other end. It would muffle her steps perfectly. Her captors would never hear her approach. A smirk appeared at the corners of her mouth. This was going to be fun.

Her ears detected sounds coming to the left, something metallic being moved. Surely her enemies were readying their weapons. They wouldn’t get the chance to use them.  _ You’re going to regret the day you tried to take advantage of my weakness, fool _ . Her fists tightened, black and purple mist forming around them. She couldn’t wait to unleash her powers on this rat bastard.

Pinpointing the source of the noise, she inhaled deeply.  _ I’ll eliminate them, then try to figure out where I am. Maybe I’ll find some clues about where Edie is _ . If anything happened to her dear friend, she would unleash suffering the likes of which the world had never seen and never would again. That much was certain.

_ Now _ . She turned the corner, fists ready to consign their souls to hell…and came face to face with Mercedes.

The villain was tall, about five inches taller than she was, only she didn’t seem like a villain. Her body was soft and curvy, clad in a fluffy oversized sweater and miniskirt with her back facing Lysithea. She moved around the stove, singing to herself as she did so.

_ Huh? _

“Oh, finally, you’re awake!”

The woman turned to face Lysithea, who immediately hid her hands behind her back. She was blonde and apparently quite friendly, with big blue eyes that closed as a brilliant white smile bloomed across her face. “I was wondering when you’d get up. I made you some crêpes! I can make you coffee as well, if that’s something you like. I also have plenty of tea, whatever you prefer.”

Lysithea stared blankly at the woman in front of her, voice failing her. Crêpe? What the hell was a crêpe?

“I’m Mercedes by the way. But you can call me Mercie, all my friends do.”

“Lysithea.” Her tone was wary and guarded, and she suddenly found herself incredibly uncomfortable. She wanted to leave as soon as she could, but was outvoted by her very empty stomach, which growled at the sweet scent wafting from the pan “Mercie” held. 

The blonde giggled, a surprisingly pleasant and disarming sound. “Sounds like someone’s hungry! Let me get you a plate.”

Setting the pan down next to the flame, the tall woman made her way to the cabinets, grabbing a white plate and setting one of the pastries down on top of it, placing it on the table. Lysithea approached hesitantly, hands still held behind her back. 

A thin, flat thing sat on the plate. Steaming hot and smelling of milk and sugar, Lysithea’s mouth watered uncontrollably. If this woman was in fact an enemy, she knew Lysithea all too well. Between caution and hunger, hunger won out. Lysithea released the magic she’d conjured, letting it vanish into nothing as she pulled one of the chairs away from the table and sat down. Killing her could wait. 

Mercedes opened a drawer and retrieved a fork, placing it down in front of her stiff guest.   


“There you go! Do you want any toppings? I have chocolate and whipped cream.”

She  _ really  _ knew Lysithea well. So far, she had two discernible skills: intuition and baking. “Both, please.”

“Coming right up!”

True to her word, Mercedes poured a copious amount of chocolate sauce and whipped cream atop the crêpe, as if sensing the white haired girl’s insatiable sweet tooth, then did the same thing to her own dish. Sitting down across the table from her guest, she dug in.

Lysithea froze, baffled by the unrelenting strangeness of the situation. Cornelia and Thales had prepared her for many things, but having someone make her  _ crêpes  _ was not one of them.

“Uhhh.”

“You should eat those before they get cold, Lysithea. They taste best warm!”

The blonde dug in, slicing the crepe with her fork and bringing mouthful after mouthful to her mouth. Slowly, Lysithea followed suit, never taking her eyes off the host. She brought a forkful slowly to her mouth, closing her lips around it slowly. Her eyes opened wide, and she held the empty fork in front of her in disbelief.  _ Sweet Seiros above, that’s fucking delicious _ .

“Do you like it? I have plenty more where that came from.”

Seduced by the sweet sugary goodness, Lysithea nodded furiously. With a good-humored laugh, Mercedes placed three more crêpes on her plate, pushing the chocolate sauce and whipped cream cans towards her.  _ You can live, for now _ , Lysithea thought as she proceeded to devour everything in front of her. For a fiend, Mercie was pretty alright.

Exhausted from her daunting portal experience, Lysithea felt like she could eat a horse, and Mercedes happily fed her accordingly. Her stomach physically bulged by the time she was done, and she sank contentedly into the back of the wooden chair. 

“Lysithea, may I ask you a question?”

_ Aha. You raise your head, villain _ . Lysithea wanted to know what her enemy wanted before they attacked. She’d humor this request, if  _ only  _ because Mercie made really good food. “Okay.”

“How did you end up on my doorstep? I found you there last night. You were completely dead to the world. I was really worried about you.”

“I don’t know.” It was true for the most part. She knew about the portal, but the exact mechanism that brought her to this house was a mystery.

“Oh my. You must have been scared to death waking up here not knowing where you were. I’m sorry about that.”

She sounded so sincere. The look in Mercedes’ eyes was tender and understanding, without the faintest hint of guile or deceit. It gave Lysithea pause. 

“Do...you have any tea?” She offered lamely, unsure of what else to say to her peculiar host.

Mercedes’ eyes sparkled and she jumped right out of her seat. “Yes, of course! What kind do you like the best?”

“Sweet apple.”

“I like lavender myself, but apple’s a great choice!”

Mercedes stepped away from the table, opening the cabinets while Lysithea watched on. She grabbed two sachets of tea and a blue kettle before setting the teapot on the stove burner and the tea packets to the side. She poured a cup and a half of water into the kettle, then turned on the flame. 

_ What. The. Fuck. _

She was supposed to be out wreaking havoc and destroying the world alongside Edelgard, yet here she was, eating pastries made by a total stranger with a passion for knitting and cooking delectably sweet goodies. It would be better not to tell Edie, honestly, otherwise she’d never live this down.

Lysithea watched the clock tirelessly, only stirring when the kettle screamed and Mercedes pulled it away from the burner without a word. She poured the boiling water into two mugs, plopping a bag of apple blend into each of them. At least Lysithea could be vaguely sure there was no poison in her cup.

“Cream and sugar?”

“Yes.”

This Mercie was surprisingly adept at anticipating what she wanted. Ok, so maybe Lysithea could stay here for just a  _ bit  _ longer. If only just for the tea.

“A good cup of tea is the best part of the day, don’t you think?”

Lysithea blinked. She tightened her grip on the handle of the mug, feeling the material strain under the pressure. 

Her hostess didn’t notice. She took another sip of her own tea,  _ humming  _ as she plunked the mug back down on the table. “Fantastic! That’s one of my better batches, if I do say so myself.”

An awkward silence settled over the room. It stayed that way for about ten minutes, heavy and thick, before Mercedes spoke up.

“Sorry if my blabbing is annoying you, it’s a habit of mine. Haha,” the nurse’s jovial expression shifted into one that was far more subdued. Her gaze changed too, and Lysithea could feel Mercedes evaluating her.

“I know you’re not sure what happened, but is there someone you want to call? I won’t keep you if you’re uncomfortable.”

How could she? Lysithea had no idea where Edelgard was, and without her in range, there was no way to tap into their psychic link. Things being as they were, she was stranded. She swallowed deeply. 

“No, not really.”

“Okay,” the blonde replied sagely. “Then you can stay here today as well. I won’t kick you out before you get your bearings. Fhirdiad is a big city, and us girls have to stick together, y’know.”

Fhirdiad.  _ So that’s where I am. Shit. _ They were supposed to land in Garreg Mach, the center of the continent, and spread out from there. Cornelia was going to pull her teeth out one by one when she found out how badly they botched this. Her muscles tensed at the thought of cruel satisfaction in her eyes as she tortured her and Edelgard for their failure. She couldn’t survive that. Not again.

“Y-yeah. Thanks,” she barely got the words out of her throat, thick with fear. 

“No worries. You’re welcome to use the TV or borrow some books to pass the time.”

Her ears pricked up at the thought and the tension faded. “You have books?”

“I have a bunch in the living room, right across from here. Help yourself to anything on the shelves!”

She had no idea what kind of books someone like this mortal would have in their house, but she’d take anything that would distract her from the disaster she was hopelessly mired in. While she was still on edge and had no problem with putting Mercedes down the second she sensed malicious intent, Lysithea was... _ thankful _ for her earlier impulse control, if only for the sake of having a proper bed and full belly.

_It’ll do for a little while._ _Until I find Edel._ Then Mercedes’ broken body would be stacked in the center of the city alongside all the rest, burned beyond recognition and twisted in agony. Lysithea smiled wryly and drank another sip of tea. Her fingers itched to carry out their true purpose: to rend and destroy, scourge, flay, and break. All in due time. But for now, all that was left to do was wait. 

_ Perfect _ , she thought as she finished the last of her tea. Which she was referring to, however, was unclear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, it's been a minute since I did any work on this (like three months), but the new chapter should be up fairly soon. I'm a grad student so I'm not able to update as frequently as I'd like, but I hope I can make up for it in quality and the dynamics.


	3. Affogato

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Affogato: An Italian coffee-based dessert. It usually takes the form of a scoop of fior di latte or vanilla gelato or ice cream topped or "drowned" with a shot of hot espresso. Some variations also include a shot of amaretto, Bicerin, Kahlua, or other liqueur

The book selection was rather lacking by Lysithea’s standards. Most were novels, which she had no interest in. She’d opened one, but found the contents horrifying. She’d thought humans were terrified of the supernatural, and yet it seemed they read these violent, frightening stories for fun. The “television” was unsettling, and she avoided it when she could.

Seeing the befuddled look on her guest’s face, the nurse’s irrepressible need to help reared its head. She walked to Lysithea’s side, bending down slightly with her hands clasped behind her back.

“What are you looking for?” 

Lysithea turned her stern little face to the taller woman, muttering under her breath. “Do you have anything about science?”

_ Awww, a little nerd. Just like Annie _ . She beamed. “I should have some in my closet, feel free to go through the book boxes in there. There’s just not enough room on my shelves for all of them.”

Lysithea offered a stiff nod of gratitude, white hair bobbing slightly. Without another word, she scurried off to Mercedes’ room, where she found herself completely astounded by the amount of fluffy things her host had managed to pack into it.

The cogs started whirring in her brain as she attempted to understand how someone who enjoyed grotesque, violent ghost stories would like pastels this much. But she was not about to be deterred from her search for knowledge. Perhaps something would offer the secrets of how to best cause mayhem and carnage among the humans, the pathways to their fear. Once again, anticipation and bloodlust flowed through her veins.

Mercedes waited patiently in the living room in case Lysithea needed any further assistance when her phone rang in her skirt pocket.

She pulled it out, hitting the green button on the screen and pressing the phone to her ear. On the other end was the familiar voice of her college roommate: Dorothea.

“ _ Looks like someone  _ **_finally_ ** _ decided to pick up the phone for once. _ ”

Mercedes bit her lip, feeling the guilt in the pit of her stomach like cold acid. 

“I’m really sorry, it’s just been a bit hectic at my house.” In truth, she had been avoiding Dorothea to get out of answering all those probing questions about the... _ unfortunate _ …events of two months ago. The arrival of Lysithea provided a convenient excuse. Her guest was a bit strange, but also astoundingly timely.

“ _ Ooooh, moving on already? Good for you! _ ”

“Oh no, it’s nothing like that.” A hand rose to her chest to soothe the gash that reopened within it. “I’ve found myself a new roommate that’s all.”

“ _ Really? What’s she/he like? _ ”

The blonde peeked into the next room, where Lysithea was poring over an old textbook from nursing school she’d never gotten around to selling. “She’s a little eccentric but otherwise pleasant. It’s nice to have someone who appreciates my cooking.”

Dorothea laughed on the other end. “ _ That’s not exactly hard. It took me six months to learn how to make something that didn’t end up giving poor Ingrid food poisoning. _ ”

Mercedes giggled into the back of her hand. “I’m glad you’ve finally gotten past the ‘horrendous’ stage.”

Dorothea groaned. “ _ I still haven’t forgiven Petra for that. _ ”

“Oh come now she’s completely darling.”

“ _ I know, I’m just kidding. If I wasn’t seeing my lovely Ingrid, I’d absolutely marry her. _ ”

“She’s certainly reliable and charming.” Petra was never anything but friendly and courteous. While she was more of Dorothea’s friend than her own, it was hard not to enjoy her company. She was also a very good *free* handyman and her little gaffes were quite entertaining.

“ _ Ok, look, _ ” Dorothea continued, “ _ I’ll get to the point so I don’t have to keep you too long. I’m going out with Hilda, Ingrid and Petra this weekend. I really think you should come with us. We haven’t seen you in a month and it’s time you put yourself out there. Sylvain is hardly worth hiding yourself away for. _ ”

There was a pause. Sylvain had broken her trust more than a few times, but still she missed him. Not really him so much as having someone warm in her bed at night who appreciated rather than tolerated her body type. And the smile on his face every time he ate a breakfast she made for him. Dorothea was right though. There wasn’t any point in waiting around for him to call.

“Okay, but I’m only going as an excuse to dress up.”

She heard Dorothea squeal on the other end of the line. “ _ Perfect! See you friday at nine! I want you at my place then so I can approve your outfit. _ ”

“Sure, sure.”

“ _ Excellent! Love you, bye! _ ”

The call ended, displaying a 2:59 timestamp. She held the phone away from her, tenderly held between her palms. Though the conversation was short, she couldn’t help but smile. Truth be told, she had been rather distant since she’d had her heart shattered into a million pieces, but it was a huge relief knowing her friends didn’t resent her for it. She hadn’t been the best friend as of late, but at least there was an opportunity to make it up to them. 

Besides, it might be good to help Lysithea make some friends in the city. She seemed rather content to read and only come out for food, but Mercedes had a knack for sensing someone’s true feelings, and she could tell that the white-haired girl was rather lonely. Her friends could be rather rowdy, but they were nothing if not welcoming. Dorothea in particular had a weakness for strays. 

The thought of food reminded Mercedes that it would be time for dinner soon. She had an undeniable craving for something sweet, if only to get the bitter taste of memory out of her mouth. Perhaps chicken marbella would be the way to go? No, too much prep time and the portion sizes were too big for just the two of them in the house. Same with saghert and cream. Perhaps two fish saute with a peach sorbet for dessert. It was a favorite dessert of hers, and given Lysithea’s sweet tooth, she’d probably like it too.

Straightening up her spine, she rolled up her sleeves and pulled the necessary items out of the fridge and got to work. 

Dorothea, Ingrid and Hilda sat around the coffee table in their apartment. Each of them had a mug of tea set in front of them, except for Ingrid, who was on her second cup of black coffee. She’d had to break up  _ another  _ scuffle between Felix and some bozo from the bar, and persuade the guy he’d hit not to press charges so she wouldn’t have to turn him in herself.

“Do you ever get tired of covering for him?” Hilda asked in that nasally voice of hers. “It seems like a lot of work.” She drew out the o in lot for emphasis.

Ingrid let out a loud, barking laugh. “Every day I get one step closer to killing all three of them and throwing their bodies in the Airmid.” She was only half-joking.

The three in question were Dimitri Blaiyyyd, Felix Fraldarius, and Sylvain Gautier. They were all close friends from childhood, and had kept in touch even after they’d all graduated from college and got on with their lives. Ingrid had called Sylvain less and less recently, and he didn’t push it. After all, he understood. Can’t be chummy with your friend’s ex. Especially when your girlfriend hates them and yeah, they kinda fucked with their friend. For years she’d cleaned up his messes, and it turned out even Ingrid, for all her loyalty, had limits.

Between her ingrained chivalry and his nonstop philandering, some chafing was inevitable. 

Felix was temperamental for sure, but Dimitri never caused any problems at all. He was a bit messed up after his parent’s accident, but had mostly worked through it. He spent most of his time alone and didn’t seem like he was itching to change it. Naturally, Dorothea was always trying to play matchmaker, which he gently discouraged. She hoped she’d have some luck in convincing him to come out with them sometime in the near future.

Dorothea smiled but her green eyes glinted like a knife. “Oh, I’m sure Sylvain  _ never  _ causes trouble.”

A bored voice prevented her from saying anything harsher. 

“Can we talk about something else? I’m getting tired about talking about him doing the same thing he always does. Why don’t we talk about boys or girls?”

Ingrid rubbed the bridge of her nose. Hilda, however, hadn’t changed at all. Her nails were perfectly manicured, and she had a nice, stable office job where she didn’t have to do any heavy lifting, all thanks to her influential older brother. She was vain, cocky, lazy and loud, but she was sharp as a tack. This conversation didn’t require too much sleuthing on her part, and without gossip, there was boredom.

“I’ve been single for so  _ loooooong _ . I’m so  _ bored _ .”

“Are you bored or do you want a maid?”

Hilda punched Dorothea’s shoulder, a little harder than she meant to. She patted it gently, then put her elbows back on the table and propped her head up on the raised hands.

“I’m serious. I haven’t dated anyone since Leonie and I want to date someone again. Mercie likes girls too so maybe I can go for her now that she broke up with Sylvain.”

“Hilda dear, Mercedes is going through some stuff at the moment, remember?” Dorothea chided, voice sweet but with daggers underneath. The part of her that grew up in the shady corners of Enbarr wanted to smack Hilda for having the gall to say something like that with a straight face, but decided against it.

“I would suggest someone  _ outside  _ the group, and let Mercedes go at her own pace,” Ingrid replied tersely.

Hilda stretched languidly, choosing to ignore the irritation in her friend’s voices and faces. She was only joking after all, and it was on them if they couldn’t keep up. Mercedes was attractive, and she liked her plenty, but she seemed to live for helping other people, which Hilda couldn’t understand. That, and it was just too easy to get Mercie to take something on for her. She never felt bad getting her boytoys to do her jobs, but something felt very wrong about doing that to her. Romantically, it would never work and Hilda was a-okay with that.

She tapped out a quick text message to Claude, asking him for a teensy-weensy favor. The response came lightning fast.

**Slash his tires? I’m in.**

He never needed much persuasion when it came to scheming, and even less when it came to getting back at someone. Revenge always got his creative juices flowing. She smirked. Good.

Hilda flipped her phone over so it faced down, resting her chin in her palm. “So is Annie coming on Friday?”

“No, she’s got another exam.”

“I thought she was doing something with her thesis?”

“Either way, she’s occupied.” Dorothea tapped her chin with her forefinger. 

Without her best friend, it would be harder to make sure Mercedes kept her promise, but it also gave her an opportunity to spend more time pampering her and  _ hopefully _ , persuade her that some doors, once closed, should be kept shut. 

During the natural pause, Dorothea spoke up.

“It’s definitely unfortunate, but I still have some ideas.”

  
  


The cold, gray sky darkened quickly as the sun began to set, casting a midnight blue shadow over the streets. A pair of bare feet turned an angry red against the frigid pavement, and a pair of predatory lavender eyes combed their surroundings. 

After deciphering the strange earth maps, Edelgard had persuaded a cabby to take her to Fhirdiad, free of charge. By nature of her high rank, she was able to turn on the charm and manipulate effortlessly. Although she preferred the more straightforward intimidation tactics, they were heavy handed for minor transportation concerns. Until it was necessary, she was to keep her cards close to her chest.  


She’d landed in the city at last, and felt the faintest traces of Lysithea, but it faltered and was distorted by the static noise of all the humans around her. How could such base animals have  _ so many Seiros-forsaken THOUGHTS _ ? 

The only option was to wander a bit more, until she could sense Lysithea’s sweet little whispers in her head once more. 

Given her stamina, it wouldn’t be too much of a problem. And any damage to her feet would heal quickly and she barely felt the blisters and cuts. She wasn’t worried about herself to begin with. Her real concern was making sure Lysithea was completely unharmed. And if she wasn’t, well, she’d found her first victim. She’d always been more warlike than her most beloved. There was one issue though.

She was hungry, and hunger makes a beast weak. 

Thankfully, she smelled raw meat nearby. It seemed that the butcher would be her newest “benefactor”.


End file.
